Chapter 12
I awoke feeling sore and hungry. Something was tapping. On what, I had no idea. I had no urge to open my eyes and see. I heard a muffled voice from far away.
“Edwin. Wake up.” Said the voice. I wanted to tell it that there was no reason to wake. There was nothing to live for anymore. I curled into a tighter ball. There was nothing left for me. The tapping continued. I ignored it
“Get up, Edwin. We have places to be.” The voice said, clearer than before. I didn’t open my eyes. I felt a whoosh of fresh, cold air. I gasped.
“Get up. You aren’t fooling anypony.” The voice said, almost as crisp as the air. I opened my eyes. I could see the blurry outline of a pale brown pony. I rubbed my eyes with my hooves, trying to rub away the sleep.
“D-Doctor?” I asked, unbelieving. The pony threw back his head and laughed.
“Yes, Edwin. Now get out of there, it must be frightfully uncomfortable.” The Doctor said. I looked at him in awe. I crawled out of the small, cramped space I was in. I looked around me, finding myself in the tardis. I blinked, my vision still blurry. The Doctor was wearing clothes, which was odd. A threadbare brown suit. He was holding his pen out of the corner of his mouth. I looked at him, unable to believe what I am seeing. The Doctor walked over to the console.
“Am I dead?” I asked innocently. The Doctor spat his pen into a cupholder, and turned to look at me.
“If you are, you’re doing pretty well for yourself” He noted. He turned to the console and pushed a few buttons, making a map appeared on a nearby monitor. I stared at him, still unbelieving.
“But... I killed you.” I said simply. The Doctor laughed as he looked at the map. He glanced back at me as I spoke.
“Stronger and more powerful creatures than you have tried, Edwin. And I happen to be quite healthy.” He looked back to his map as he finished his statement. I was so confused. I walked to a nearby ottoman, which was exactly the right size for a pony. I jumped on it, coiling myself. I thought.
“Edwin... I have lived the last ten years of my life away from Equestria. I have travelled to planets and times far and wide. I have lived in hate, in anger. I have seen peoples distant, landscapes foreign. Yet, there was something missing in my life. Something that kept me awake nights, something that filled with regret. It was Equestria, Edwin. This land has charm to it that no other dimension or planet does. There is a magic in the air, a scent in the breeze. Equestria is my home. Today, just a few minutes ago, I let you out of the stasis chamber that you crawled into all those years ago. I have forgiven you, Edwin.” The Doctor said. I looked at him, touched. I thought about it for a good, long while. The Doctor walked around his console, pressing levers and buttons and poking things with his nose.
“What did you do with Luna?” I asked him, the memory sharp in my mind. The Doctor stopped what he was doing, the sounds of the tardis paused. He hopped off of his console, and looked at the floor.
“I buried her.” He said, walking off to the side.
“Where?” I asked, demanding. He did not move his gaze away from the floor.
“Someplace that she loved to be when she was alive.” The Doctor said softly.
“Take me there. Right after you buried her.” I said in a firm, unwavering tone. The Doctor looked up at me.
“I can do that, Edwin.” The Doctor said in his soft tone. He reached down with his head into a small chest and pulled out a rubber mallet. He walked slowly to his console.
“I’m... Sorry, Edwin.” He said through a mouthful of hammer. I looked up at him, perplexed.
“No one had ever Spliced in a tardis before, pony or otherwise. It was a purely theoretical scenario. There was nothing I could do.” The Doctor explained sadly. I looked up at him and I said nothing. He placed his mallet on the console and pushed a lever. There was a whirling, swirly noise. It kept up for a second or two. It stopped, and the tardis jostled.
“We’re here.” The Doctor said. I got up off of the ottoman, and walked to the door.
“Where is she, Doctor?” I asked as I placed a hoof on the door.
“I’ll show you.” The Doctor said. I pushed open the door. The tardis was in a sunlit clearing in the middle of the forest. The grass was long and swaying among the fragrant trees. Sunlight streamed through the overhanging branches, making the light a mottled green color. I heard the sound of rushing water that heralded a nearby creek. I looked around, seeing why Luna would love this place.
“It’s beautiful, Doctor.” I whispered. I stepped out into the glade. I was warmed by the sunlight as my hoof crunched down onto bristly grasses. I closed my eyes, savoring the warmth and the pleasant aroma. The Doctor walked up beside me, his hooves crunching along.
“She’s over here, Edwin.” He said. I opened my eyes to see the Doctor walking off into the grass. I followed him as best as I could. He stopped a few paces ahead of me. I walked up alongside him. There was a small space where grass was not, the smell of freshly tilled earth emanating from the ground. I could see a small blue gem at the head of the mound. It was in the shape of a crescent. Sadness welled inside of me as I thought of Luna. The way she snuffled flowers away from her face when I showed them to her. Tears welled inside of me.
“Thank you, Doctor.” I choked out. “She would have l-” I broke off in a sob. My eyes shut against the flow of tears. I choked on my own tongue as I tried to keep my composure.
“It’s okay, Edwin.” The Doctor said softly. I leaned on him, weeping through my teeth. I glanced back at the grave, my wounds fresh. I wept.
“I love her, Doctor.” I said, my voice shaking. The Doctor reached up with a hoof and patted my shoulder. I bit down on my lip. The smell of wet dirt was strong in my nose. I tried to pull myself together. I tried to control my tears over Luna. I looked at the grave again, seeing the small jewel at the top.
“Rarity helped me find that.” The Doctor said.
“Who?” I asked hoarsely, tears still dripping down my muzzle.
“You’ll meet her someday.” He said blankly. I looked up at him through blurry eyes. I thought about him, remembering better times.
Oh, they said to grab it.
not every day you see the same ghost twice!
ALLONS-Y!
Wishful thinking can get you farther than most...
Well, Mister Shell! The Doctor is in!
I had an idea. A crazy, stupid idea. The kind of idea that doesn’t even make sense in a dream. But an idea nonetheless. I stood, getting up from the ground. I looked upon the grave. The reeds flowing around it, like they were made of water. Sunlight sparkled from the perfect blue gem, curved in a crescent. I stared at the grave. The gem moved up to my face. I looked for a second, and it flew away off to the side. I looked at the earthen mound. The dirt was pushed out and away from the middle, looking like a gigantic anthill forming. The dirt spilled off of the sides. I saw a patch of dark blue poke out from the pile. The mare floated out of her grave. Dirt shed off of her body as her corpse moved up to eye level. Her face was pristine on one side, but terrifyingly horrid on the other. Dirt stuck to her exposed muscles, intermingling with dried blood. I felt pain deep in my heart, making my breath hitch. I closed my eyes.
I thought of Luna prancing through the glade. I thought of Luna snuffling a flower. I thought of Luna.
I could feel the power flowing through me, but it was going nowhere. I was just funneling energy into a chunk of meat. I looked at the dark blue mare, my eyes welling. The breath stuck in my hitching throat. I blinked.
The air was very humid. I could see the alabaster pony sitting by his cooked lizard. The fire was merely embers by now. The bandages on his head were a little bit dirtier than the last time I saw him.
“Edwin, My boy. Come, sit by me.” He spoke in a wheezy, wizened voice. I walked over to him and sat next to a log and a small clay pot. He looked at the flickering embers for a second, patting the dirt with one of his forehooves. He turned to me.
“You see, Edwin, We Ghosts can manipulate bodies minutely. Simple commands. Like how I just did with you.” He reasoned in a calm tone
“But-” I objected
“But indeed, Edwin Shell! Trying to raise the dead! What a foolhardy goal. You would have better luck trying to make a chicken bark without magic.” He exploded. I looked at him.
“Why can’t I raise the dead?” I asked angrily.
“Because only the strongest amongst our ancient order may summon lost souls. You have not yet been granted this ability, for you know not the consequences of such an action.” He said bluntly. I seethed at this. I looked at the old pony, absolutely infuriated. I stood up abruptly, knocking back a small pot that was behind me. He stared at me, his one remaining eye wide with surprise. There was a smell of ozone in the air as I struck the pony straight in the nose. I could feel it crunch under the force of my blow. The lightning in my fist flew out into him, knocking him clear across the clearing. I bounded over, landing on top of him as he hit the ground.
“You will allow me to summon the dead, Colt.” I growled at him. He looked at me for a second. I watched the blood leak from his nostrils. He cackled suddenly, throwing his head back on the dirt.
“And why should I do that, Foal?” The porcelain pony replied, still laughing. He closed his eyes. Pillars of stone shot out of the earth. They wrapped around me, pulling me closer to the ground. The Colt jumped, landing lithely on his hooves. He walked slowly around me, admiring his handiwork. He circled to face me.
“You lecture those much stronger and more powerful than you, Edwin. You are impudent, foolish, and young. You have no idea of what you ask for, other than the fact that it serves your own selfish motives. You may be powerful in the realm you exist in, but here? Ha! Here, you are merely a foal tripping over it’s own hooves.” The nameless pony said. He proved his point by tightening the pillars of rock around me. I grunted under their crushing strength. The Colt turned his head to me, his greasy hair hanging limp over his bandaged eye. He leaned down to look at me as I was crushed by the summoned stones. I could see the individual strands of his ink-black hair sway as he spoke to me.
“Edwin, the summoning of the dead is an art, dangerous in the extreme. It is only given to a select few, and all of them Ghosts. The energy needed to retrieve a soul from the clutches of death is extreme. Only Ghosts can connect and draw upon the reserves necessary, namely the Flow. The Flow is where our power comes from. It may come out of our bodies when we weave, but our bodies is not where it originates.” He said grimly. The tubes of stone constricted. I gasped, feeling my ribs bend slightly under them. He smiled as he continued.
“When you summon the dead, Edwin, you forge a link between the two bodies, the two souls. What happens to the summoned soul happens to the summoner. If flesh is rent and torn in the summoned, thus happens to the summoner. Our order has only called from the grave very, very few ponies, and nearly all of them are Ghosts.” He said. I looked up at him, my teeth bared against the pain of the rocks . He sighed and flicked a hoof at me. I flinched as I waited for the stones to crush me. To my surprise, they sunk back into the ground. I heaved my lungs, trying to reclaim lost air. The nameless pony looked at me in disgust.
“With this warning, Edwin Shell, I return you to Equestria. May you make the right decision.” He said as he closed his eyes. I felt cool wind.
I blinked and found myself back in the clearing. Luna’s corpse was floating in front of me. Her hair was covered in dirt. I felt a pang in my stomach as I saw her lifeless body. I looked back at the Doctor. He was staring at me, his eyes wide.
“What are you going to do, Edwin?” He asked, frightened. He looked the youngest I had ever seen him, because his eyes were filled with so much fear. The corner of my mouth reached up in amusement. The Doctors eyes grew wider.
“I am going to give her Life.” I replied, immersing myself in the flow. I turned back to the blue corpse. I stared at her mangled body. Missing limbs, half of her face gone. I closed my eyes to her.
I thought of a happy Luna. Luna bounding through the glade, Luna breathing. Luna snuffling away flowers. Luna raising the moon, a spectacular sight in and of itself. I thought of all this, bending the Flow to my will. I felt it, like I would have felt a limb. The power built and expanded inside of my body. I opened my eyes. My muscles spasmed and clenched, holding me completely still as the energy ripped through me. I screamed, the pain of it overwhelming. I could see Luna’s flesh weaving itself together under my gaze. Her muscles were re-forming, the individual tendrils reaching across her face. The crippling pain washed through me anew, making the muscles and skin and bone weave faster. Skin latticed across her face, covering the bare flesh and bone. She was mended before my very eyes. Her body was in pristine shape, perfect in every regard. The Flow released me, It’s job done. Luna still hung in the air. I knew exactly what to do. I stepped up to her floating body. I looked at her, contemplating what I was about to do. I gulped. I craned my neck to touch my nose to hers.
I opened my mouth and exhaled. I could feel my strength flowing from my legs, my body. I fatigued quickly as my legs shuddered. I nearly lost consciousness. Luna was doing absolutely nothing, my energy flowing into her dead, perfect form. I kept this up for a few more minutes, persevering through extreme exhaustion. I could bear no more, and fell over. Luna’s body fell to the loose earth of her grave with a muffled thump. I looked at her, tears flowing anew.
“No, Luna...” I whispered. My body was completely drained of energy. I looked at her perfect dark blue mane, Her cutie mark a pale, pale white sliver against her flank. A twisted part of my mind wondered who would raise the moon now. I crushed that thought before it could become something that would haunt me. I looked at Luna, feeling an overwhelming depression over me. The edges of the world grew dark as I lost consciousness.
“Edwin, get up! Edwin!” The Doctor shouted at me, prodding me with a hoof. I looked up at him, aggravated.
“What do you want, Doctor?” I asked, my voice filled with venom. He looked at me with excitement, practically bursting.
“It worked, Edwin.” he said. It took me a minute to figure out what he was talking about. I looked at him for a minute more, trying to figure out why he would tell me this.
“Come look at her, Edwin.” he said. I got up from the reeds, up from my bed of sorrow and dispair. I looked around the clearing for her, looking everywhere. I saw her. I saw her. She was sitting. She was sitting next to a tree on the opposite end of the clearing.
“I did it, Doctor.” I whispered. He looked at me.
“Yes, You did.” He said, surprised. I looked back to him, grinning
“I did it!” I exclaimed, exuberant. I threw my head back and laughed at the sky. I could feel the cool breeze, could smell the fragrant flowers. The world with Luna was a world worth living in. I walked over to Luna as quietly as I possibly could. I finally reached her, sitting next to a tree. I looked over her shoulder. She was holding a small green frog in an upturned hoof.
“Hello Luna.” I said. Luna made a small squeal. The frog jumped off of her hoof, surprised. She turned around quickly. Her blue eyes were wide as she looked at me, her face perfect and pristine. I smiled out of the corner of my mouth. She reached her hooves around my neck.
“Thank you, Edwin... I cannot thank you enough for what you did.” She said, nearly crying. I tried my best to be nonchalant about it.
“I couldn’t take my pretty moon rock home all smashed up, now could I?” I said, looking at her teary face. She laughed once under her breath, looking down.
“It was still very gallant of you, Edwin. First, you come with the Doctor, of all ponies, To come and save me from my prison. Even my death didn’t stop you from your goal. You pulled me from the very clutches of death, only to bring me back to Equestria. Not many would do that, Edwin.” She said, her eyes probing me. I looked down at her in amusement.
“I guess you could say that I am rather talented.” I said, trying my best to brag. She giggled a little. I looked down at her pale blue irises. She looked back into my eyes, and for a moment, time had no say. The wind rushing past the reeds, the babbling of a nearby creek, and the creaking of old trees was the entire universe, with Luna at it’s center. She leaned closer to me, tightening her grip around my neck. Her lips were parted ever so slightly as I leaned in to meet her.
“OI!” The Doctor shouted, making Luna and I jump.
“We’ve got a summer sun celebration we have to go to! Let’s get a move on!” The Doctor shouted. I looked back to stare at him in supreme annoyance. He was standing in the doorway of the tardis.
“Celestia almighty, Doctor! It’s a time machine, isn’t it!?” I exclaimed. The Doctor looked thoughtful for a second.
“Yes... But, I do like to at least feel punctual. Let’s get a move on, shall we?” He asked, disappearing into the mysterious blue box. I looked back at Luna, her cheeks purple. I looked at her for a minute before I realized she was blushing.
I’ll make it up to you, Luna.” I said. She perked up at that statement. I waved a hoof, gesturing for her to hurry. She pranced up to my side.
“Come on, best not to keep the Doctor waiting.” I said to the midnight blue mare as we walked to the tardis.